---
title: 12 Banned Items to Leave Off Your College Shopping List
description: Lamps, extension cords, waterbeds, pets, and other things your college probably doesn't  want you to bring back to school.
authors:
  - name: Greg Daugherty
    url: https://money.com/author/greg-daugherty/
    at_money_since: 2015
    articles: 22
    covers:
      - Education
      - Business
      - Economy and Politics
      - Lifestyle
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    former_staff: true
published: '2015-08-12T12:00:36.000Z'
modified: '2024-04-16T06:28:02.000Z'
section: Education
tags:
  - back to school
  - College
  - College tip of the day
  - Dorm
  - Dorms
word_count: 217
canonical: https://money.com/what-not-to-pack-for-college/
type: Article
source: structured-blocks
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![150812_FF_CollegeShoppingList](https://img.money.com/2015/08/150812_ff_collegeshoppinglist.jpg)

Before you go back-to-college shopping, check your school’s website to see if it has a list of what to pack and, maybe even more important, what not to. You’ll save money, free up some precious car space, and stay out of trouble—at least on move-in day.

A Money survey of more than 50 colleges found that virtually all forbid halogen lamps in student dorm rooms, calling them a potential fire hazard.

Many schools also ban:

-   Multi-head lamps with plastic shades
-   String lights, such as miniature Christmas lights
-   Extension cords
-   Cooking appliances, such as hotplates and toaster ovens
-   Air conditioners or space heaters
-   Electric blankets
-   Candles and incense
-   Waterbeds
-   Darts and dartboards
-   Firearms or any other weapons, including paintball guns
-   Pets (some colleges make an exception for goldfish, but check on the allowable tank size, which varies widely).

![](https://content.money.com/wp-content/themes/money2018/img/newsletter/money-homepage-newsletter-120.png)

NEWSLETTER: COLLEGE\_PLANNERSign up for **COLLEGE\_PLANNER** and more [View Sample](https://money.com/subscribe/)

Other schools have additional, and sometimes unusual, items on their leave-it-home lists. For example, Olin College of Engineering in Needham, Mass., a suburb of Boston, recommends not bringing “any paraphernalia supporting the New York Yankees.” (Sounds wise to us...)

For more useful tools and tips for college-bound students and their parents, check out the new Money College Planner. And if you’re still in the process of picking a college rather than packing for one, see our [Find Your Fit](https://money.com/best-colleges/) tool.

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